You have to be as excited as we are at the @rcade are about Kinect! Anyone who has seen the trailer and adverts for Microsoft’s latest toy/tech/gadget has wanted to own one! Teasing us way back in June of 2009, Microsoft announced ‘Project Natal’, we watched in amazement as the demonstrators interacted with the computer and the computer responded to voice, motion and commands.
This year Project Natal was renamed Kinect, and as gamers around the world gear up for what is sure to change the world of gaming as we know it, we have a chat with the lads over at Microsoft about Kinect and what we should expect!
What is Kinect?
Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways, no controller required. While everyone else puts more gadgets and gizmos into your hands, Kinect removes the last barrier between you and the experiences you love. Best of all, when Kinect arrives this November, it will work with every Xbox 360 console.
Simply step in front of the sensor and Kinect recognizes you and responds to your gestures. See a ball? Kick it. Want to watch a movie? Say “Xbox, play.” Want to join a friend? Whether they are across the room, across the street or across the globe, connecting in a whole new way is as easy as a wave of your hand.
So how does Kinect work?
No matter what your age or where you’re from, you already know how to use Kinect. With Kinect for Xbox 360, technology evaporates, letting the natural magic in all of us shine. Kinect responds to your body’s every move, transforming how you play, entertain, and connect with family members and friends.
What kind of changes will Kinect have on our Xbox experience?
Entertainment
Kinect for Xbox 360 works with Xbox LIVE to transform your living room. Xbox LIVE is the exclusive home for a new era of controller-free entertainment allowing you to interact with your favourite movies, music and TV shows with the wave of your hand or the sound of your voice.
Control your entertainment with a simple gesture and the sound of your voice.
Video Kinect
Share a smile and a wave with faraway friends and family members as you come together from living rooms around the world with Video Kinect, no headset required.
Social
The one-of-a-kind Kinect Hub puts all your favourite controller-free experiences in one place. Kinect recognizes you, so you can easily sign in to your profile by stepping in front of the sensor. Access and browse your entertainment with just the wave of your hand.
Games
Kinect gives you the freedom to play the way you want. Jump, duck, spin. It’s made for you and is designed to get everyone off the couch and cheering together. More than 15 games available this holiday will bring new ways to have fun with Kinect, made by the most talented artists in the industry.
Speaking of games, what will be available for play when we get Kinect?
“Kinect Adventures.” Float in outer space. Experience the thrill of roaring rapids. Tackle mountaintop obstacle courses. And dive into the deep to explore a leaky underwater observatory – all from your living room. With “Kinect Adventures,” you are the controller as you jump, dodge and kick your way through exciting adventures set in a variety of exotic locations.
“Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.” Burn calories your way – choose a personal trainer to help you meet your specific fitness goals, take a yoga or Martial Arts class, or play fun family-friendly mini-games. Unlike other games, the proprietary Player Projection technology of “Your Shape: Fitness Evolved” puts your body into the game for the ultimate experience. As you exercise, you’ll receive specific feedback on your every move, thanks to the game’s real-time precise tracking system.
“Kinectimals.” A wide-eyed Bengal tiger cub cocks its head to the side and playfully peers at you. Memories of your first trip to the zoo come rushing back. “Kinectimals” invites children, their parents and animal lovers of all ages to build lasting friendships with some of the world’s most exotic creatures. Just like real pets, your “Kinectimals” will come running when they hear your voice, respond to commands like “jump,” “roll over” and “play dead,” and purr with joy when you scratch them behind the ears.
“Kinect Joy Ride.” 3, 2, 1… go! “Kinect Joy Ride,” the first controller-free racing game, will take you and your friends on the ride of your lives – no driver’s licenses required. “Kinect Joy Ride” reinvents driving and kart racing by adding massive jumps and full body stunts to the classic kart-racing action. With a host of cool features and game modes, you can find your inner Mario Andretti by going solo, pick up a co-pilot, or team up with your friends and family members to take on the world.
“Kinect Sports.” Turn your living room into a world-class stadium, bowling alley, soccer pitch, or track and field arena. With “Kinect Sports” you’re not only the star player; you are the controller through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360. See a ball? Kick it. Spike it. Even give it a little topspin. “Kinect Sports” features soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field, and boxing.
“Dance Central.” The first full-body, controller-free dance video game with fun choreography for beginners and experts. The magic of Kinect allows you to experience real dance with your friends and family while connecting with the music you love.
Ok so we know what we can play and how Kinect will change our experience but how exactly does the technology work?
Kinect combines an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software that brings Kinect experiences to every Xbox 360 console. The Kinect sensor tracks full-body movement and individual voices, turning you into the controller for social entertainment available only on Xbox 360.
Kinect has a video camera that delivers the three basic colour components. As part of the Kinect sensor, the RGB camera helps enable facial recognition and more. An infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor allows Kinect to see the room in 3-D (as opposed to inferring the room from a 2-D image) under any lighting conditions.
Kinect has a microphone that will be able to locate voices by sound and extract ambient noise. The multi-array microphone will enable headset-free Xbox LIVE party chat and more. A proprietary software layer makes the magic of Kinect possible. This layer differentiates Kinect from any other technology on the market through its ability to enable human body recognition and extract other visual noise.
During Retro week the @rcade sent one our willing reporters to a very special Kinect event in Dublin to preview Microsoft’s newest software. Below is Eilis Fox’s account of her day with Kinect…
Never one to say no to being ahead of the game I went along to see what I could expect in November. To say I was blown away is a bit of an understatement. Kinect is the definitely the next step in gaming. There were six different booths, all with something different to try out. I got to play demos of Kinect Joy Ride, Kinect Adventures!, Kinectimals, Kinect Sport and Dance Central. I also got to try out the new dashboard features. Even from testing out a handful of games that Kinect has to offer it surely has something for everyone.
Kinectimals is going to be quite popular for kids and adults alike who can’t have a real life pet for whatever reason. It takes virtual pets to the next level, and there will even be an option to upload your favourite beanie to become your virtual pet. Kinect Joy Ride is like a more hands-on version of Wipeout crossed with older racing games like Burnout. Kinect Adventures strikes us as the kind of game that will be popular at parties, along with Kinect Sports.
Both have a feature which takes snapshots that you can then upload to your Facebook page. The dashboard feature is really fun too, with the swish of a hand being all you need to navigate. Our favourite was without question, Dance Central. With moves designed by some of the world’s top choreographers, it has a fully licensed soundtrack so it’s all the original tracks from today’s most famous Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B artists. This is going to be a huge success for anyone who loves to boogie, whether it is in their bedroom or in the club. It has a fully licensed soundtrack so it’s all the original tracks from today’s most famous Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B artists.
I really didn’t want to leave but after a few hours I’d made up my mind that Kinect was going top of my Christmas wish list this year!
It’s safe to say that Kinect is definitely taking what Nintendo did with the Wii and taking it to a whole new level. It’s almost guaranteed to be the biggest selling present this Christmas.
Your ‘Move’ Sony…
Kinect will available in the US from 4th November and will be the catalyst for a worldwide release in the same year!
